Tennis apparatus.



G. W. SENN.

TENNIS APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED D3014, 190s.

Patented July 6, 1909.

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G. W. SENN.

TENNIS APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.14,1908.

Patented Jul 6, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

GEORGE WILLIAM SENN, OF ST. LOUIS, l'rIISSOURI.

TENNIS APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1909.

Application filed December 14, 1908. Serial No. 467 151.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE WILLIAM SENN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and. useful linprovements in Tennis Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention consists in an improved device for tightening lawn tennis nets.

In the drawings forming part of this speci- 'fication, in which like numbers of reference denote like parts wherever they occur, Figure 1. is a top plan view; Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Figs. 3 and a are, respectively, a top plan view and a side elevation of a casting to which the tightening lever is pivoted; F 5 is a top plan view of a portion of the arms of the tightening lever; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one of same Fig. '7 shows said lever in starting position; Fig. 8 shows same in an intermediate position; and Fig. 9 depicts said lever in its position of rest, or locked.

A casting 1 is mounted. on post 2. A lever composed of a pair of arms 3 is pivoted in the lugs 4 projecting from said casting 1. A bifurcated lever, such as that just described, is preferably used in order that the strain of rope 5 will fall between the hearings in which said lever is pivoted. Hope 5 is either the top cord or connected with same of net 6. Said rope is fastened to the lever by looping same around stud 7 at the end of said lever remote from its pivotal connection with casting 1. A handle 8 forms a convenient means for pulling the lever from its initial position (shown in Fig. 7), in which the rope is attached to stud 7, to the intermediate position shown in Fig. 8, and finally to the position of rest shown in Fig.9. In the initial position rope 5 is slack; in the intermediate position (shown in Fig. 8) the lever is in approximately the position in which it applies the greatest tension to the rope. In the further progress of the lever to the position shown in Fig. 9, less tension is applied to the rope, because it is slightly released by the changed position of the lever which rests against post 2, and is locked thereagainst by reason of the fact that more strain would be exerted on rope 5 by moving said lever away from said post than by allowing the lever to continue to rest against said post 2.

Knobs 9 on casting 1 and knobs 10 on the lever near stud 7 serve as guides for rope 5,

and an anti-friction roller 1.1, mounted in casting 1, prevents abrasion or fraying of the rope, and facilitates its travel. Said roller 11 is mounted in a recess 12 in said casting 1.

The arms 3 of the lever are normally spread apart, but are resilient and adapted to be pressed toward each other so as to draw their conical projections 18 out of perforations 14 in lugs 49, said perforations being: tapered to lit the conical shape of the projections 13. Each of said projections is provided with a lug .5, and each. perforation 14 notched at 16. When the projections 13 are first being inserted in said perforations 14 it is necessary to hring said lugs 15 into registration with said notches 16 in order that each projection 13 may pass through its respectivc perforation 14. After this has taken place, however, the turning of the lever either forward. or backward removes lugs 16 from registration with notches 16, and, by reason of the engagement of said lug 15 on one side of lug 4t, and arm 3 on the opposite side thereof, the lever is held in permanent pivotal connection with casting 1, the resilience of arms 3 tending, also, to keep projections 13 in perforations 1i, even at the moment when 15 are in registration with notches 16.

If the movable rope-pulling arm were pivoted to one side instead of both, a lateral strain would occur when the rope is under tension, resulting in the device becoming wahhly and the production of other unsatisfactory conditions. In the device as illustrated in the drawings, it will he observedv that the strain of the rope under tension. falls between the pair of hearings in which er is pivoted.

said movable mei Having thus descrihed my said invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the type set forth, a casting including a horizontal top plate adapted to rest on the upper end of a post, said casting including a pair of spaced downwardlyextending lugs each formed with a perforation, a pair of knobs on said horizontal top plate at the rear thereof, a roller on said plate at the front thereof, a lever having a handle and a pair of arms arranged in spaced relation and having their ends opposite to said handle turned outwardly and projected through said perforations of the lugs, a stud on said lever adapted to engage one end of a rope, and. a pair of knobs on the lever adj acent said stud, said knobs being arranged in spaced relation.

2. In a device of the type set forth, a casting, a pair of spaced knobs carried by the casting at one end thereof, a roller carried by the casting and spaced from said knobs, said casting being formed with a pair of perforated lugs extending below said roller, and a lever pivoted in said perforations of the lugs and formed with a stud to engage a rope.

In a device of the type set forth, a casting adapted to rest on the top end of a post, said casting being for ned with a pair of spaced upwardly-projecting knobs and with a pair of outwardly-extending perforated lugs located. below said knobs, and a lever having a pair of spaced side arms which are secured in said, perforations of the lugs.

42. in a device of the type set forth, a casting adapted to rest on the top end of a post, a roller carried by said :asting and adapted to engage a rope, and a lever pivoted to said casting at points below the plane of the roller, said lever when in normal position extending lengthwise of the post.

5. In a device of the type set fort-l1, a casting adapted to be secured to the upper end of a post, said casting being formed with a pair of upwar'.llyextending knobs arranged in spaced relation and between which a rope is passed, and a lever pivoted at one end to said casting below the plane of said knobs, said lever when in normal )osition extending lengthwise of the post.

(5. In a device of the type set forth, a casting for securement to the top of a post, said casting being formed with a rope-engaging part on its top face, and a lever pivoted to the casting below the plane of said ropeengaging face, said lever when in normal position extending lengthwise of the post.

7. In a device of the type set forth, a casting adapted to be secured to the upper end of a post, said casting being formed with a pair of spaced knobs between which a rope engages and with a rope-engaging member located beyond said knob, and a lever pivoted at one end to said casting below the plane of said rope-engaging member said lever when in normal position extending lengthwise of the post and in engagement therewith at its free end.

8. in a device of the type set forth, a casting adapted to be secured to the top end of a post, said casting being formed with a pair of upwardly-projecting knobs, and a lever pivoted to the casting below the plane of said knobs, and adapted at its free end when the lever is in normal position to engage the post below the casting, said lever at its free end being formed with a pair of spaced knobs.

9. In a device of the type set forth, a casting adapted to be secured to the top end of a post, a pair of spaced knobs 011 said casting and a rope-engaging part spaced from said knobs, a bifurcated lever having one of its ends secured to the casting below the plane of said knobs and rope-engaging part and being formed at its free end with a pair of spaced knobs which aline with the knobs of the casting, and means carried by the lever beyond said knobs thereof for engagement with one end of a rope.

10. In a device of the type set forth, a fixed member adapted to be secured to a support, said fixed member being formed with a rope-engaging part, and a movable member pivoted to the fixed member in a plane below that of the rope-engaging part, said movable member when in normal position extending lengthwise of the support and having its free end in engagement therewith.

11. In a device of the type set forth, a fixed member adapted to be secured. to the top end of a post, a rope-engaging part carried by the fixed member, and a swingable member pivoted to the fixed member in a plane below said rope engaging part, said swingable member being bifurcated to receive a rope in its bifurcation when the swingable member is in normal position, the swin -ible member when in normalposition extending lengthwise of the post and having its free end in engagement therewith.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W ILLIAM SENN.

Witnesses GLAnrs WALTON, EDNA J. GoeKEL. 

